Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) have announced an additional 60 new public moorings have been installed around the Whitsundays, and 40 new reef protection markers installed in order to protect the fringing reef better, provide convenient and sustainable access for boaties and help the area recover after Cyclone Debbie.

Prior to the cyclone, the Whitsundays already had 85 public moorings and 50 reef protection markers around the fringing reef of the islands. Now with a total of 145 public moorings and 90 reef protection markers for use by recreational boat users, bareboat charterers and the tourism industry operators, the reef is in a better position now to recover and regenerate.

Moorings are designed so that anchors don't have to be dropped on the sea floor and reef protection markers guide operators where it is safe to drop an anchor without it landing on coral bommies. The Environmental Management Charge (EMC) that charterers are charged, go towards the upkeep, maintenance and installation of moorings around the Whitsunday islands.

Different coloured moorings allow operators to easily identify the vessel size limit and maximum wind speed allowed for that particular mooring and is in the best interest of the 'captain' and the crew to adhere to these guidelines when picking up moorings for the safety of all on board as well as the protection of the reef. The Zoning Map will also help you understand where you can go and what activities you can undertake in each area of the islands.

If you follow Cumberland Charter Yachts' (Luxury Yachts Whitsundays parent company) 'Reef Protection Practices' while on charter and become a Citizen of the Great Barrier Reef, we can all do our little part in nurturing the Great Barrier Reef.

Don't get caught out by the Christmas and New Year trading hours when ordering your provisioning for your luxury yacht charter. You wouldn't want to spend Christmas Day or New Years Day without the prawns and champagne, would you? Here are supplier opening hours over the Christmas New Year period so you don't miss out.

Visiting the Whitsundays and doing a bareboat charter will be an experience to remember. Discovering secluded beaches and bays, ancient Indigenous rock art, white as white sand on beaches, towering hoop pines with resident Sea Eagles circling above and coral reefs are only scratching the surface of what you'll find.

Explore a little further and you will find a number of bushwalks both on the mainland as well as the Whitsunday Islands with most of them offering amazing and gobsmacking views that only a photo can describe. Walk a little or a lot - choose from easy short walks to longer more difficult walks but the reward, in the end, is worth it. The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service have a comprehensive 'Visitor Guide' that covers all of the bushwalks and lookouts across the various National Parks and State Forests in the Whitsundays with a copy provided on board your bareboat. Here are Luxury Yachts Whitsundays favourite bushwalks and lookouts of all time.

#1 - Hill Inlet, Whitsunday Islands National Park

It's best to anchor or moor your vessel in Tongue Bay; the northern bay to world famous Whitehaven Beach. Take your tender ashore and follow the marked winding walking track 630m uphill through bushland and shrub. As you near the two lookouts and start to see glimpses of azure blue and shifting white swirling sands of Hill Inlet, listen to all the 'ooo's' and 'ahh's' you hear from other people. You'll stand there for a while taking in the vista and not wanting to leave. Be sure to take your camera! Grade: Moderate; Time: 15 minutes

#2 - Spion Kop, South Molle Island - Molle Islands National Park

Access to South Molle Island's tracks is accessible from Sandy Bay, Paddle Bay or the resort side of the island at Bauer Bay. The longest walk by far is from Sandy Bay (4.2km one way), however, the views and different aspects of the Whitsundays along this walk change at every turn and are just as spectacular as the last. Once at the lookout you literally feel on top of the world! Grade: moderate; Time: Allow 4 hours total

#3 - Whitsunday Peak, Whitsunday Islands National Park

The Whitsunday Peak is one of the Whitsundays' most challenging as it is a steep track and reaches an elevation of 437m. While only 2.5km long, it is quite a deceptive walk starting with an initial climb along a creek bed, through vine trees before reaching a lush rainforest at its peak offering stunning views over the Whitsunday islands and surrounding mainland.Grade: Difficult; Time: Allow at least 4 hours depending on your level of fitness

#4 - Honeyeater Lookout, Conway National Park

Starting from Kara Cresent in Airlie Beach, this walk will take you UP until you reach the lookout, so there is little to no reprieve from the climb until you come back down the same track to exit the walk. A popular walk for a morning workout, you'll pass locals and visitors along the way. You don't see much but bush along the track, but the view, which looks back down on the town of Airlie Beach and out of the islands makes the walk worthwhile. Grade: Moderate; Time: Allow 3 - 4 hours total

#5 - Kingfisher Circuit, Conway National Park

You'll need to have your own car for this walk, as it starts from the Forestry Road car park at Brandy Creek, approximately a 10-minute drive from Airlie Beach towards Proserpine. Pick up a self-guided brochure from the stand at the start of the track. It will guide you through the rainforest teaching you all about the wildlife and various trees you see along the way. You'll descend down to a freshwater creek where you can ponder on a log seat for while before making your way back up to the old logging road and back to the car park. Grade: Easy; Time: 25 minutes.

It's true. The Whitsunday region is blessed to have two domestic airports; the Whitsunday Coast Airport (Proserpine) and the Great Barrier Reef Airport on Hamilton Island. You can fly into one airport and out of the other, or choose to catch a return flight from the same airport. When deciding how to navigate your choices of access into the region, there are a few things to consider first.

Whitsunday Coast Airport Proserpine (PPP)

Located approximately 14 minutes from Proserpine along the Bruce Highway, or 25 minutes from Airlie Beach, the Whitsunday Coast Airport is serviced by Jetstar with direct daily flights to/from Brisbane and Sydney with connecting flights to Melbourne Virgin Australia flies direct from Brisbane with connecting flights from Sydney and Melbourne. Tigerair has direct flights from Sydney.

If you are boarding your bareboat charter from Abell Point Marina in Airlie Beach, it is better to fly into Whitsunday Coast Airport. While you may find (sometimes) flights are cheaper into the Great Barrier Reef Airport, the cost of a ferry from Hamilton Island to Port of Airlie ($53.50 one way for an adult OR a child up to the age of 14), and then a taxi to Abell Point Marina makes it a hefty transfer as opposed to a $22 shuttle and 25 minutes ride from Whitsunday Coast Airport.

Great Barrer Reef Airport Hamilton Island (HTI)

Flying into Hamilton Island is a memorable experience. The plane cruises the Australian coastline and out over the Whitsunday islands on its approach to the run, making for some great holiday snaps as you come into land of the beautiful scenery and islands that you'll be sailing around. It has direct flights from Sydney and Brisbane with Virgin Australia, direct flights from Sydney and Cairns Qantas and Cairns and connecting flights from Melbourne and Brisbane with Virgin Australia, Qantas and Jetstar. Sometimes you can find a great flight deal into 'Hammo', but as mentioned above, if you're picking up your bareboat from Abell Point Marina, take into consideration the cost to get to it at Abell Point.

If you are picking up your bareboat from Hamilton Island marina, then, of course, it's a no-brainer to fly into the Great Barrier Reef Airport. It does cost $415 each way for the bareboat to be delivered by Luxury Yachts Whitsundays to Hamilton Island for you, and $415 to be picked up again after your charter and brought back to Abell Point Marina. Weigh these costs up with the cost of a flight into Proserpine and a ferry from Port of Airlie to Hamilton Island instead. Are you still with me? Or are you confused?

Depending on where you live and are flying from, you may be dictated by the airline from your nearest airport as to which of the two airports in the Whitsundays you have no choice but to fly in to. But, if you have a carrier that flies into both airports, take into consideration where you are picking the bareboat up from, and the time of your flight arrival and departure times, as your briefing on the boat starts at 8:30am sharp at Abell Point Marina, or by 11am at the latest at Hamilton Island.

If you've never been to the Whitsundays before, chartering a bareboat around 74 islands with fringing coral reef skirting every island, may seem like a daunting idea. How do I know where to go? Where to anchor? What is the weather doing?

Briefing

Rest assured, the 'captain' and 'first mate' of your crew undergo a thorough briefing with Luxury Yachts Whitsundays' highly qualified and experienced bareboat briefers, ensuring you leave the marina confident and comfortable to navigate your way around one of the best cruising waters in the world. The briefing is conducted at 8:30am sharp on board your bareboat and can take up to 4 hours depending on your boating experience.

Radio Schedules

A twice-daily radio schedule (or 'scheds' as they're colloquially known) by the Luxury Yachts Whitsundays base, along with the weather forecast is made with each bareboat charterer to ensure the plans you are making for the day and your choice of overnight anchorage are suitable to the prevailing wind and sea conditions.

Where to go

The '100 Magic Miles', in it's 11th edition and written by David Colfelt is the 'bible' of the Whitsundays. An easy to read and understand book on all the anchorages, snorkelling and diving spots in the Whitsundays. One copy of the 100 Magic Miles is provided on each boat and will become your best friend during your charter as you research your next days' adventure.

Enjoy the freedom of choosing your own destiny and chartering your bareboat at your own pace. Think of the islands like a playground - they're safe and help is only a radio call away. A thorough briefing, twice daily radio scheds and the 100 Magic Miles are three key tools you need to enjoy your bareboat charter with Luxury Yachts Whitsundays. There truly is no better way to discover the beauty of the Whitsundays than on your own boat with loved ones, discovering secluded bays, snorkelling spots and sleeping under 1 million stars.

The planning that goes into arranging your bareboat charter takes a little time and effort, especially when you have to coordinate the rest of the crew. Deciding on convenient dates for your charter that suit everyone, where everyone is flying from, which airport to fly in to, where to stay and last but not least – provisioning for your charter!

Forget about making a shopping list, walking the isles in the grocery store, getting it from the store to the boat and then loading and packing it on to the boat. There are suppliers here in the Whitsundays who can take the hassle out of the provisioning for you, allowing you to kick back and relax into your holiday vibe.

Whitsunday Provisioning

Supplying provisions to bareboat charterers for 30 years, Whitsunday Provisioning source fresh produce from local farms in the Whitsunday region, ensuring you experience the true taste of the Whitsundays during your holiday.

Order everything you need conveniently online and they will not only deliver the provisions to your bareboat, they will even pack your stores on to the bareboat itself. They cater to all dietary requirements so even the fussiest of eaters will be satisfied with their selection of menus.

Choose from pre-prepared seafood and fruit platters, easy meal plans, partial or full packages and the online bottle shop, making Whitsunday Provisioning a true one stop shop for all your catering needs.

Slice of Nature

New to the Whitsundays, Slice of Nature also source locally grown produce from the Whitsunday region. They offer fully prepared menu options leaving nothing else to do but cook. Choose what you’d like to eat during your charter from their online ordering system, and everything is delivered to your bareboat in pre-cut, portioned and vacuum sealed packages. Leaving more time for you to enjoy sunsets on the back deck of the boat with a cold one in your hand, rather than slaving away in the galley.

Along with the meal packages are recipe cards with step by step instructions on how to prepare the meals so even the most basic of cooks will come off as a seasoned chef.

Woolworths and Coles Online

There is a small Woolworths in Airlie Beach, with it’s larger sister store located in Cannonvale. A Coles can also be found in Cannonvale.

While all stores offer online shopping, we don’t recommend using the delivery service as they won’t deliver the provisioning to the boat. Abell Point Marina is a busy hub of activity, and provisioning from Coles and Woolworths has been known to be delivered to a random point at the marina and left in the sun for most of the day. If have your heart set on doing your own shopping or self-select, choose to do a click and collect from Coles or Woolworths, catch a cab to the marina and cart the produce to the boat yourself. Alternatively, use Whitsunday Provisioning’s online supermarket allowing you to self-select your meals, however they’ll deliver everything to your bareboat for you.

Christmas Tree Worms are one of my favourite things to find when snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef, and so in the spirit of Christmas, here are some fast facts about these little guys. I bet your bottom dollar they'll be the first thing you go looking for when you snorkel straight from the back of the boat on your next luxury charter in the Whitsundays!

For those who celebrate Christmas, tree decorating comes once a year, but in the world's tropical seas, 'tis always the season! Christmas tree worms (Spirobranchus giganteus) are a type of polychaete, a group of segmented worms that contains over 13,000 species. And just like their cousins the "sea mice" and feather dusters, these unassuming invertebrates put on quite the eye-catching display.

1. Tree sieve

The Seuss-style plumes you see above – which come in an array of colour morphs – are called "crowns", and you'll notice they appear in pairs. That's because each worm has two of them. By pumping water up and over the crowns, a Christmas tree worm can filter out tiny plants and animals to snack on. The feathery structures are lined with both sticky mucus and spiky bristles (called cilia), which help trap passing prey.

2. Double duty

After a bit of size sifting, the worm moves any tasty morsels – conveyor-style – to the mouth, but the crowns do more than just catch food: they also harness oxygen! For this reason, the structures are often mistakenly called gills.

3. Now you see me

Underwater "pines" might be beautiful, but they're really just the tip of this worm's iceberg. Two-thirds of the body of a Spirobranchus lies hidden in a calcium carbonate tube, which it erects as a bunker.

Some groups take this one step further, by setting up shop in stony corals. But the crafty worms don't do the heavy drilling: by nestling their bodies against the corals' living tissues, they force the polyps to build around them. Over time, these coral-encased bunkers can reach ten inches in length.

Spirobranchus worms are pretty choosy about which corals they settle on, but scientists are still working out why. Some speculate that landing on carefully selected species could help the worms with reproduction. Others suggest the pickiness comes down to avoiding accidental predation (no worm wants a coral-munching parrot fish is hankering for its home turf).

4. Only the classics for these worms

Once settled down, a Christmas tree worm can live upwards of 30 years! (Though 10-20 is more common.)

5. Ladies and gents

While many invertebrates reproduce asexually, there are actually male and female Christmas tree worms. These animals are broadcast spawners, meaning they shoot their genetic contribution into the surrounding water, in the hope that it meets its match. Once fertilisation occurs, it takes just 24 hours for larvae to develop.

Airlie Beach and the Whitsundays are blessed to have a range of accommodation for tourists to choose from. From backpackers to mid-scale hotels to pure luxury apartments – you’re certainly spoilt for choice when it comes to finding somewhere to lay your head.

If you’re booking a charter with Luxury Yachts Whitsundays, and are looking for an equally luxurious place to lay your head the day before or after your charter, here are some of our favourite places to book.

Coral Sea Resort

Positioned on the absolute ocean front, and a 2-minute walk to Abell Point Marina and the Luxury Yachts Whitsundays office, Coral Sea Resort is a popular choice for bareboat charterer guests. Offering deluxe suites, apartments, penthouses and beach houses with an award-winning restaurant it’s hard to pass up. Enjoy their degustation dinner poolside featuring fresh local seafood overlooking the Coral Sea or perhaps an intimate and private candlelit dinner in the oceanfront gazebo.

Mirage Whitsundays

Equally impressive is Mirage Whitsundays, offering serviced apartments, villas and penthouses, the resort is located on the serene waterfront near Airlie Beach. Spend time cooling off in one of their large and enticing pools, or in your own plunge pool at your apartment. An onsite gym will keep you happy and not feel guilty after dining at their soon to open restaurant and perhaps a pamper in their day spa is also on the menu.

Marina Shores

Featuring indulgent fully self-contained luxury penthouses and holiday apartments, Marina Shores has absolute waterfront living overlooking Abell Point Marina. Spoilt for choice are the 1,2,3 and 4 bedroom spa apartments and penthouses and with an onsite pool, it’ll be hard to want to leave.

Peninsula Airlie Beach

Offering a choice of either 1,2,3 or 4 bedroom apartments and penthouses, Peninsula Airlie Beach is another great choice to stay at. They say you won’t want to leave once you’ve checked in, so be sure to stock the fridge from the very get-go. All apartments have balconies and amazing views overlooking Abell Point Marina and the Coral Sea with high-quality features.

Heart Hotel and Gallery

The newest kid on the block, Heart Hotel and Gallery is located on the main street of Airlie Beach. Having first opened in 2016, the hotel is destined to become an iconic luxury, boutique choice for travellers to the Whitsundays. Don’t let the main street location fear you – the rooms are superb and has everything that you would expect from a 5-star hotel.

In March 2017, the Aquila 'Sunrise' joined the Luxury Yachts Whitsundays fleet and has been on charter consistently since. Due to popular demand for its luxurious interior, amazing outdoor and entertaining area as well as the demand for power catamarans for a bareboat charter, Luxury Yachts Whitsundays are welcoming a second Aquila 44 to the fleet in March 2018. Aptly named 'Champagne Sunset', she will be the perfect addition to accompany the Aquila Sunrise as a luxury charter option in the Whitsundays.

With 2 Aquila 44 vessels in the fleet make Luxury Yachts Whitsundays the only charter company in Australia you can hire one through, to experience the sheer beauty and comfort of this powercat. From the moment you step on board, you're impressed by the aft deck entertaining area with lounge seating and BBQ. From the centrally located galley is a large window that folds out, converting into a breakfast bar bringing the outdoors in and connect the aft deck to the galley. The adjoining spacious saloon features a large table with plenty of seating and offers 360-degree views to the outside. Each cabin boasts a queen size bed and private ensuites, with air-conditioning.

The upstairs flybridge has another entertaining area with lounge seating including a small fridge and BBQ cooktop. An evolution of classic boating traditions where efficiency in design and performance compliment her luxurious living, the Aquila 44 is a boat like no other.

The Whitsunday Islands are home to some of the best dive sites on the Great Barrier Reef, and when you're chartering a bareboat or a luxury crewed charter, you should consider ways you can explore the underwater world as well. At first you may think that it's 'too hard' to organise, but with a little understanding of what your options there are, you'll soon realize just how easy it is to dive on one of the great natural wonders of the world.

DAY CRUISES

There are various day charters that offer introductory and certified dives, visiting the fringing reef around the skirts of the islands as well as the outer reef, approximately 40 nautical miles out to sea.

Once at the Heart Pontoon, there are various activities to do, however for the keen divers, the 'moon pool' underneath the pontoon is the place you'll begin your dive taking you out along Hardy Reef; a vertical coral wall that drops to 60m underneath the boat. A wealth of ocean life can be found including turtles, anemones, hump headed Maori Wrasse and Giant Trevallies. All meals and refreshments are incorporated into the ticket cost and you spend roughly 4 hours at Heart Pontoon, with up to 370 different visitors on busy days.

Explore leave Hamilton Island going to 2 dive areas at Bait Reef, the nearest reef to the Whitsundays. While their vessel can take up to 100 guests, they top numbers at 60 making for a more intimate experience.

Jumping straight from the back of the vessel from the drop down stairs into the water has you diving with marine life within seconds. The 'Stepping Stones' are a group of coral bommies that form a near straight pathway of reef which resembles a series of stepping stones as the name suggests. The marine life here is out of this world, with humpback whales known to visit during their annual migration which divers have been known to hear singing under the water during their dive. You spend at least 3.5 hours at the dive site before making a beeline back to Hamilton Island. Meals and refreshments are included in the ticket price.

If you're on a bareboat, pick up a mooring or drop anchor near an island resort that the day cruises pick up from and make your way ashore, leaving your tender somewhere safe for the day. For those doing a luxury crewed charter, the crew can transfer you in to the marina to jump on the cruise.

Fringing Reef

On the off chance that going through the day with a huge crowd of people and being away from your boat all day isn't your thing, you may want to dive the reef around the islands, known as fringing reef. There are a more delicate coral varieties found around the islands because of the protection that the islands offer with each dive site unique in its own way. You can meet Mantaray Charters or Whitsunday Bullet who visit certain islands depending on the weather on the day. More often than not they'll pick you up from your vessel in their dinghy, or on the other hand, you can take your dinghy to their boat when they are ready to take you for your dive. The bonus of meeting up with this type of charter means that you are only paying for the dive itself, rather than the full ticket price of the outer reef cruises.

DIVE RENDEZVOUS

Tornado Dive is a dedicated dive vessel who can meet you at a dive site. If you contact them 24 hours before you want to dive, they will organize to meet you at a suitable anchoring and take you and your crew for a dive. Depending on how busy they are on the day, you may find that you are the only divers they are meeting, which makes for a much more casual and private experience, getting that one on one time with the dive instructor.

B.Y.O

If meeting up with other boats and diving with other groups of people isn't your thing, or if you're looking for a more laid-back experience and you're already a certified diver, you can hire your dive equipment from Aqua Dive at Abell Point Marina and take everything you need with you. Some of the crewed luxury charter boats may already have dive equipment on board, so be sure to check this first if you're considering diving. Aqua Dive will provide a dive map with the equipment, showing you where you can find the best dive sites as well as locations of where you can refill your dive tanks at various locations around the islands, or from Tornado Dive. Depending on the size of your bareboat, a maximum of 4 tanks can be taken on board.

If diving BYO, be sure to raise your dive flag so other boaties know there are divers in the vicinity, and always scuba dive in buddy pairs.

It should come at no surprise that Australia, even more so the Whitsundays, has some of the most spectacular cruising destinations and natural attractions in the world yet superyachts (35m+) up until recently, have been deterred from heading to our stunning Whitsundays waters due to the restrictions on access for the vessels.

Paul Darrozet, owner of the award-winning Abell Point Marina (Luxury Yachts Whitsundays base) quoted “the increased access for superyacht anchorages in the Whitsundays is a huge boost for the local economy and the superyacht industry across Australia. Superyacht captains now have the flexibility to develop a comprehensive itinerary in the Whitsundays which has a direct benefit to our marina business and connected local services. The new amendments are very timely for the upcoming cruising season in the Whitsundays.”

The Minister for the Environment and Energy 21; The Hon Josh Fryenberg, has assured the Government that the Superyacht anchorages will be established at carefully selected locations with no corals or other sensitive habitats and this will enable further tourism opportunities and still protect the area’s core values.

In the past, Australian Superyacht owners have been unable to explore their own backyard, travelling to other Pacific countries rather than spend the time and tourism dollars in Australia. With marine tourism taking a big piece of the Australian economy pie Superyachts Australia has been tirelessly lobbying for the last nine years to bring this to fruition.

First launched as a standalone event in 1968. The first boat show site was at the Horden Pavilion at Moore Park, where it remained until 1985. Cumberland Charter Yachts first exhibited in 1986, this proved to be a long and fruitful relationship.

The show ventured to a temporary facility in Pyrmont from 1986 to 1988, where an on-water component was introduced. The halls leaked and the marina was rickety, but nevertheless, these three years laid the foundation for what would be a long stint at the nearby Darling Harbour.

1989 was a milestone year with the opening of the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre. This big, first-class facility had the added benefit of Cockle Bay being a short walking distance. The show grew tremendously in Darling Harbour for 25 years until 2013.

The major upgrade of Darling Harbour started soon after our 2013 show. The next three years of 2014 to 2016 meant another temporary facility, this time located at Glebe Island. It also meant a split show, with the now very large and popular marina component in Cockle Bay, and a ferry service transporting show guests between the two locations.

For the 50th Sydney International Boat Show in 2017, we return fully to Darling Harbour. The undercover displays will be located within the vast International Convention Centre - Sydney, and the spectacular marina displays only minutes away on Cockle Bay.

Luxury Yachts Whitsundays are excited to be able to offer 2 locations this year. We can be found at stand 503 (exhibition hall 5 on level 4 ) and also on water at the Aquila & Seawind on water display. Meet Charlie, Sharon and Megan at the show to discover all things bareboating and Whitsundays.

As we are celebrating 50 fantastic years of boat show magic CCY are giving away a beautiful birthday gift, pop down to the stand to find out how you can win!

Luxury Yachts Whitsundays brand creator, CCY General Manager Sharon McNally said; “Over the past 3 years we have seen an increase in demand for larger and more luxurious vessels. We made a strategic decision to target the luxury market, offering clients higher levels of service and more luxurious experiences whilst bareboating in the Whitsundays. It’s really exciting for me to finally launch our new Luxury Yachts Whitsundays website and product range. In doing so we have developed fantastic local partnerships and introduced new programs to cater for our client’s high expectations.”

“I am absolutely delighted with the end product.” added Sharon.

Traditionally Cumberland Charter Yachts are recognised innovators in the Whitsunday charter industry. During 30 years in the bareboating business they have strived for excellence, believing in their products quality, service and commitment to tourism in the region.

“At the very heart of Cumberland Charter Yachts (CCY) is great passion for sailing and courageous explorers which drives us to create unforgettable adventures. We believe in challenging the status quo, we believe in going further than the rest, we believe in team work and mutual success. This is why we exist and this is what has driven and inspired us every day since we started in 1985.” Sharon added.

The Aquila Catamarans are the next level in luxury bareboat accommodation. The Aquila 44, “Aquila Sunrise” is the newest addition to Luxury Yachts Whitsunday (LYW) power catamaran line up. Boasting Aquila's signature fresh evolution of classic boating traditions, where efficiency in design and performance compliment her luxurious living and was named "Best New Multihull” in the 2014 AIM Media Editor's Choice Awards. The Aquila 44 vessel features 3 spacious cabins all with ensuite, climate control and high-end finishes, the master stateroom is simply enormous.

Due to the overwhelming demand for the Aquila Power Catamarans, CCY signed a second Aquila 44 to arrive early 2018. Sharon added. “We plan to include more products in the LYW range including luxury sailing catamarans and crewed luxury yacht charters.”

Andrew McLeod, Multihull CentralProduct Manager - Aquila said; “This really is fantastic news for those wishing to experience one of Australia’s premier locations onboard a luxury vessel. The market has been screaming out for a product offering where clients can treat themselves to a truly luxurious holiday with fun and adventure thrown in. The feedback from the clients who have chartered Aquila Sunrise has been amazing. Clients cannot believe the level of luxury delivered at such an affordable price point. Sharon’s idea is proving to be a game changing initiative.”

“Congratulations to CCY, they truly are a team of proven innovators in the Whitsunday charter industry.”

Abell Point Marina Marketing Manager, Joscelyn O’Keefe said “It’s encouraging to see our marina operators raising the bar in terms of their product and service offering. The demand for premium products and services within Australia is increasing and for our tenants to be innovating within their businesses to meet this demand aligns with the strategic direction of the marina moving forward. We wish Cumberland Charter Yachts every success with the launch of their luxury brand and website.”

If you’re interested in chartering a luxury yacht in the Whitsunday, enquire today for availability, free call 1800 075 101.

Vessel inspection available by appointment at Abell Point Marina or view a sister ship at the Sydney Boat Show 3-7 August, Darling Harbour.

Speak to us about investment or list your luxury vessel on the Luxury Yachts Whitsunday website, speak to Sharon today on 0427 419 114.

The Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show is the southern hemisphere’s premier marine event featuring world class marine displays within a contemporary and vibrant village atmosphere.

A unique destination, Sanctuary Cove’s restaurants and bars overflow during the 4 days providing a carnival backdrop to an industry showpiece.

Each year upwards of 40,000 visitors attend the show immersing themselves in the 300 marine and luxury marques on display. Showcased in spectacular style at the world-famous Sanctuary Cove Resort on Queensland’s Gold Coast, 2017 will mark the 29th edition of what has become an industry standard bearer.

This year Charlie, Sharon and Zan of Cumberland Charter Yachts will be exhibiting on stand 47 inside the main pavilion. (How to find us- Upon entry to the show follow the Main Pavilion and turn right at Musto, CCY are at the entrance to the Superyacht Pavillion Stand 47.)

Come along and chat to Charlie Zan and Sharon about all things bareboating, charter and Whitsundays.

We are super excited to be showcasing our new luxury yacht the Aquila 44 on PIER D/E1 where you can see for yourself the level of luxury yachting the Whitsundays can provide. We will be standing by to meet you and show you how to go bareboating.

Want to talk Charter Investment? Speak to Sharon today on 0427 419114 to arrange an appointment at the show.

The Aquila 44 is the newest addition to Cumberland Charter Yachts power catamaran line up, boasting Aquila's signature fresh evolution of classic boating traditions where efficiency in design and performance compliment her luxurious living and was named "Best New Multihull in the 2014 AIM" Media Editor's Choice Awards.

On the Aquila 44 you will enjoy the 360˚ view from the spacious salon and galley that features a large seating area, hidden TV stowage and plenty of storage to make a bareboat charter easy and pleasant.

Galley features include Corian counter tops, fridge and freezer, electric stove, and stainless steel microwave oven as well as a double stainless steel sink and an alfresco breakfast bar with window and stool seating in the cockpit.

The large staterooms each feature ample headroom and large windows for excellent views, each room has a private bathroom with shower. The master suite has a full size bathroom and study nook.

All fresh water flush, separate shower room and teak flooring compliment the boats design and exceptional living comforts.

Additional features include an oversized flybridge with added all weather enclosure, shade protection, refrigeration and sunpad seating on either side of the central helm station and Aquila's revolutionary bridge to bow direct access.

Alfresco dining in the cockpit and flybridge provides two great entertaining areas.

The Aquila 44 features 3 cabins all with ensuite. The saloon table can be converted to a bed to accommodate 8 guests.

CCY General Manager Sharon McNally said "The Aquila is the next level in luxury bareboat accommodation. We are very excited to be the first available in charter anywhere in Australia, she will is an excellent addition to the Luxury Yachts Whitsundays division".

Sharon added "Power boats are gaining popularity and we can't keep up with the demand to go bareboating onboard the power vessels".

Andrew McLeod, Aquila Product Manager at Multihull Central, the Australian/NZ Distributors said "This is fantastic for everyone, the owner has purchased the perfect Whitsunday live aboard power cat. The Aquila has the potential to be the most sort after power cat in the LYW fleet as she is the only Aquila 44 available for charter in Australia. And for potential Aquila 44 buyers, they try before they buy in the beautiful Whitsundays, how good is that?"